Determination
'' Determination is a book written by Sarah Todd Hammer and Jennifer Starzec. It is the second installment of the 5k Ballet series of memoirs, following 5k, Ballet, and a Spinal Cord Injury . Like the one before it, this book alternates between Sarah Todd's and Jen's perspectives each chapter. Paperback copies of this book can be found on Amazon and Lulu . It can also be found on Amazon Kindle . 'Summary' ''Determination chronicles Sarah Todd's and Jen's lives with a rare neurological disorder called Transverse Myelitis ™, which paralyzed them when they were 8 and 13 years old (respectively). While 5k, Ballet, and a Spinal Cord Injury was about the onset of Transverse Myelitis and their journeys to dance and run again, Determination continues these events and is more about daily life living with the lasting effects of this life-altering disorder. It also shows the growth of the two girls' special, sister-like friendship. This book starts where the previous one left off: the early summer of 2012, when Sarah Todd is 10 years old and Jen is 14. It ends mid-summer of 2014, when Sarah Todd is 12 and Jen 16. During these years, Sarah Todd's dancing improves more and more as she gradually figures out ways to adapt her choreography to her minimal arm function. Meanwhile, Jen joins her high school cross country team and not only continues to run faster, but further, as well. The book ends with both girls achieving huge accomplishments in dancing and running, despite many obstacles throughout, continuing to beat the odds of Transverse Myelitis. 'Quotes from ''Determination “With determination, it is possible to block out the negative things and enjoy the positive ones, despite the cons. Most importantly, it is possible to dance through everything pernicious.” ''- Sarah Todd Hammer (pg 237)'' “I often wished that more people understood the invisible side of things. Even the people who seemed to understand, didn't really.” ''- Jennifer Starzec (pg 113)'' “I had learned quickly that life doesn't always go the way I want it to, and that's okay. I still plod on.” ''- Sarah Todd Hammer (pg 168)'' “We’ll be fighting Myelitis our whole lives, but we’ve also proven that we are more than capable of not letting it beat us.” ''- Jennifer Starzec (pg 16)'' “The video was still playing, although I didn't know why. It seemed as if the able-bodied dancers were mocking me.” '' -Sarah Todd Hammer (pg 124)'' “The strong, ferocious wind just made the chill worse, and as it blew around me, electric bursts of pain shot through my body.” ''- Jennifer Starzec (pg 85)'' “I kept wanting to go back on the stage and do it again since I had so much fun and felt so accomplished. It seemed that I had regained a lot of the confidence that I knew I had years before when I performed onstage all the time.” '' -Sarah Todd Hammer (pg 13)'' "People who don't see you every day have a hard time understanding how on some days--good days--you can run three miles, but can barely walk across the parking lot on other days,' mom said quietly." ''- Jennifer Starzec (pg 113)'' '''Facts About ''Determination *Though some mild details (such as names) may have been changed, all of the major events in ''Determination are true. It is a memoir, and the authors wrote about their own experiences. *Sarah Todd Hammer was only 14 years old and Jen 18 at the time that Determination was published. *Originally, Determination wasn't going to be a continuation of 5k, Ballet, and a Spinal Cord Injury. Instead, it was going to be something else entirely: a guide to living with TM. Starzec and Hammer changed their minds very shortly after beginning to write the "guide." *Sarah Todd and Jen attended The Center for Courageous Kids Transverse Myelitis family camp the summer of 2012, 2013, and 2014. All three of these times are written in Determination. *1/3 of the proceeds of this book are donated to The Center Courageous Kids and ICSCI at the Kennedy Krieger Institute . *Transverse Myelitis is a rare neuroimmune disorder that damages the spinal cord, causing a number of symptoms including paralysis, weakness, and neuropathic pain. *In April 2010, when she was 8 years old, Sarah Todd became a quadriplegic (completely paralyzed neck-down) due to Transverse Myelitis. Jen was affected neck-down by this same disorder at age 13, in August of 2011. *The authors discussed this book in an article on the Transverse Myelitis Association website . *You can find more information about the 5k Ballet series on their official website and their Facebook page.